11 Facts About Teens And Drug Use

Welcome to DoSomething.org, a global movement of 5.5 million young people making positive change, online and off! The 11 facts you want are below, and the sources for the facts are at the very bottom of the page. After you learn something, do something! Find out how to take action here.

More teens die from prescription drugs than heroin/cocaine combined.

In 2013, more high school seniors regularly used marijuana than cigarettes as 22.7% smoked pot in the last month, compared to 16.3% who smoked cigarettes.

60% of seniors don't see regular marijana use as harmful, but THC (the active ingredient in the drug that causes addiction) is nearly 5 times stronger than it was 20 years ago.

1/3 of teenagers who live in states with medical marijuana laws get their pot from other people's prescriptions.

The United States represents 5% of the world's population and 75% of prescription drugs taken. 60% of teens who abuse prescription drugs get them free from friends and relatives.

Tackle a campaign to make the world suck less.

Adderall use (often prescribed to treat ADHD) has increased among high school seniors from 5.4% in 2009 to 7.5% this year.

54% of high school seniors do not think regular steroid use is harmful, the lowest number since 1980, when the National Institute on Drug Abuse started asking about perception on steroids.

By the 8th grade, 28% of adolescents have consumed alcohol, 15% have smoked cigarettes, and 16.5% have used marijuana.

Teens who consistently learn about the risks of drugs from their parents are up to 50% less likely to use drugs than those who don't.

6.5% of high school seniors smoke pot daily, up from 5.1% five years ago. Meanwhile, less than 20% of 12th graders think occasional use is harmful, while less than 40% see regular use as harmful (lowest numbers since 1983).

About 50% of high school seniors do not think it's harmful to try crack or cocaine once or twice and 40% believe it's not harmful to use heroin once or twice.

Sources

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Sixty percent of 12th graders do not view regular marijuana use as harmful." U.S National Library of Medicine. Accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.nih.gov/news/health/dec2013/nida-18.htm.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Sixty percent of 12th graders do not view regular marijuana use as harmful." U.S National Library of Medicine. Accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.nih.gov/news/health/dec2013/nida-18.htm.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Regular marijuana use by teens continues to be a concern." U.S National Library of Medicine. Accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.nih.gov/news/health/dec2012/nida-19.htm.

8

Martin, Sc.D., M.P.H., Laurie, and Alyssa Milot, B.A.. "ASSESSING SUBSTANCE USE AND ABUSE AMONG ADOLESCENTS: A GUIDE FOR OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME PROGRAM PRACTITIONERS ." Child Trends. Accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.childtrends.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/2007-08TeenSubstanceUse1.pdf.

9

Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration. "National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings." Results from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2012SummNatFindDetTables/NationalFindings/NSDUHresults2012.htm.

10

The U.S. Department of Education, The Drug Enforcement Administration. "Growing Up Drug Free: A Parent's Guide to Prevention." Justice.Gov. Accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.justice.gov/dea/pr/multimedia-library/publications/growing-up-drug-free.pdf.

11

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Regular marijuana use by teens continues to be a concern." U.S National Library of Medicine. Accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.nih.gov/news/health/dec2012/nida-19.htm.

12

Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse. "60% of illicit Drug Users are 15 to 24 years old." Partnership for a Drug Free Canada. Accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.canadadrugfree.org/drug-info/illegal-drugs/.